Repeating mechanism for phonographs.



.No. 808,387. PATENTBD DEC. 26, 1905.

G. J. KURTZ. REPEATING MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905.

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APPLIUATION FiLED JAN.14, 1905.

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NVENTOR F [TA/E5555 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON J. KURTZ, OF. SALEM, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JACOB. WENGER, OF SALEM, OREGON.

REPEATING MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed January 14, 1905. Serial No. 241,081.

it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved repeat- .ing mechanism for phonographs and the like,

the object of the invention being to provide improved means which will compel the reproducer to automatically return to the starting end of a record and continuously repeat the same record until the apparatus is stopped or runs down;

lVith this object in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter desoribed,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view, partlyin section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are enlarged views of details of construction.

1 represents the main supporting-plate, and 2 is the well-known form of rotary recordcarrying cylinder turned by gearing 3, which also turns the feed-screw 4 at one side, and said gearing is driven by any suitable form of motor in the boX 5, on which the plate 1 and mechanism are supported.

6 is a rod on which the sliding reproducerframe 7 is hinged, and said frame at one side of rod 6 is provided with an arm 8, having a finger or fingers to engage the screw 4 and feed the reproducer-frame along. The other end of the reproducer-frame7 has a h1g9, sliding on a guide-bar 10, and carries at its free end a roller 11, the pintle 12of which projects through the bifurcated lower end of frame 7 My improved guide-frame attachment 13 comprises a sheet-metal frame having its base portion 14 resting on bed-plate 1, and clamping-tongues 15 are provided at one side at the ends to clamp over the bar 10 and securely hold the frame in position. At the other edge of the base portion 14 a vertical plate 16 is provided and cut away at its center to give free access to the starting and stopping lever 17. Clamping-tongues 18 are provided on the outside of plate 16 at its. upper portion and are adapted to clamp and adjustably secure in position a frame 19, comprising the horizontal straight portion 20, having a lateral flange 21, forming a guide bar or track for the return movement of roller 11, as will more fully hereinafter appear. A laterallyprojecting bolt 22 is secured in the end of frame 19, and a lifting and tripping dog 23 is pivotally secured on the bolt 22. This dog comprises a bowed strip of metal perforated at its ends to receive the bolt and one end having a tooth or shoulder 24, and a springwire 25 is coiled around bolt 22, bears at one end beneath frame 19, and at its other end bears against dog 23, normally tending to throw the same to an approximately vertical position and move a curved tongue 26, se-

cured to one side thereof, up to the track 21. A rod 27 is secured to dog 23 and is adapted to beheld down by the reproducer-frame and hold the dog and tongue 26 depressed, and when in this position a spring-catch28, secured to frame 19, holds the dog 23 in set position, as the spring-catch 28 has a shoulder formed between its ends to engage the tooth or shoulder 24 until released by the reproducer-frame moving against the upper end of the springcatch.

A bracket 29 is secured to the gear-casing 30 at one end of the device and is provided at one end with an arm 31, having an opening which affords a bearing for one end of a shaft 32, the other end of said shaft being supported in the end of a bell-crank lever 33. A friction-roller 34 is secured on the shaft 32, and a spring 35, hearing against the lever 33, presses the roller 34 against the drive-pulley 36 at the end of cylinder 2; but a long arm 37 is secured to the reproducer-frame, and when the latter is moving along and reproducing the record this arm 37 will depress the lever 37 will move away from the lever 33 and permit spring 35 to hold the roller 34 in contact with the drive-pulley 36, so as to be driven thereby. A string 38 is secured at one end to a pin 39 on the reproducer-frame and at its other end to shaft 32, so that when the latter is turned by roller 34 the cord will be wound on the shaft and the reproducer-frame moved back to its starting-point.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: As the reproducer-frame is moved along the record the roller 11 moves below track 21 and the arm 37 depresses lever 33 and holds the roller 34 out of operation, permitting the cord 38 to unwind from shaft 32 as the reproducer-frame moves along. WVhen the reproducer-frame reaches the end of the record, the roller 11 will move beyond the track 21, and the reproducer frame will push the spring-catch 28 out of contact with the shoulder or tooth 24, and the spring 24 will throw the dog to an upright position. The curved tongue 26 will engage the roller 11 and elevate the same and the reproducerframe, lifting the reproducer out of contact with the record. This lifting also moves the arm 37 out of engagement with the lever 33, and the spring 35 moves the roller 34 against the drive-pulley 36. The rotation of the latter then drives roller 34 and shaft 32, winding cord 38 thereon and pulling the reproducer-frame back to its starting-point. As the reproducer-frame moves back to its starting-point the roller 11 will run on track 21 and hold the reproducer out of contact with the record and also hold the fingers of arm 8 out of engagement with feed-screw 4, and the reproduoer-framewill force the rod 27 downward and set the dog 23. When the reproducer-frame reaches its starting-point, roller 11 will fall from the end of track 21, permitting the arm 8 to engage feed-screw 4, and arm 37 will throw roller 34 out of contact with the pulley 36, and the operation above described is repeated indefinitely or until the motor gives out.

It will be seen that with my improvements the parts can be adjusted to suit varying lengths of record, and slight changes in the form of the attachments can be made to fit other forms of phonograph, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my inven tion.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a movable reproducerframe, of means for lifting the reproducerframe when at the end of the record and move it out of engagement with its driving mechanism, a track to guide the return of the reproducer-frame in its elevated position, a frictionroller normally held out of operation by mechanism on the reproducing-frame, and a spring adapted when the reproducer-frame is elevated, to move the friction-roller into operation to move the reproducer-frame back to its starting-point.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a movable reproducerframe, of means for lifting the reproducerframe when at the end of the record and move it out of engagement with its driving mechanism, a track to guide the return of the reproducer-frame in its elevated position, a returning mechanism, means normally tending to throw the returning mechanism into operation, an arm on the reproducer-frame normally holding the return mechanism out of operation when the reproducer-frame is in its operative position and releasing the returning mechanism and permitting it to operate when the reproducer-frame is elevated.

3. The combination with a phonograph, of a shaft, a cord connecting the shaft with the reproducer-frame, a friction-roller on the shaft, a lever connected with the shaft, a spring bearing against the lever and normally pressing the friction-roller into engagement with the cylinder-drive pulley, an arm on the reproducer-frame engaging the lever and holding the roller out of operation when the reproducer-frame is moving in one direction and reproducing the record, means for elevating the reproducer-frame at its end of movement permitting the roller to operate and wind the cord on the shaft and pull the reproducerframe back to its starting-point, and a track guiding the return of the reproducer-frame in an elevated position.

4; The combination with a phonograph, of a roller on one end of the reproducer-frame, a frame, comprising two members adjustably secured together, a track on one of said members beneath which track the roller moves in one direction, a tripping and elevating dog mounted on one end of the frame, a spring constructed to throw the dog to elevate the roller to a level with the top of the track, a spring-catch holding the dog in set position until released by the reproducer-frame, means for drawing the reproducer-frame back to its starting-point with the roller moving along the top of the track, and a rod on the dog disposed under and moved by the reproducergrame in its returning movement to set the 5. An attachment for phonographs,comprising means for elevating the reproducer-frame when the latter is at the end of its movement, a track to guide the return of the reproducerframe and hold it elevated, a shaft, a cord connecting the shaft with the reproducerframe, a roller on said shaft, means on the reproducer for holding the roller out of operation when the frame is moving in one direction and releasing the same when the frame is elevated, permitting the cord to be wound on the shaft and the frame drawn back to its starting-point.

6. An attachment for phonographs,comprising means for drawing the reproducer-frame back to its starting-point, a spring normally tending to throw said means into Operation, means for elevating the frame when at the end of its forward movement, means for guid ing the frame back to its starting-point and holding it elevated, and means on the reproducer-frame normally engaging the returning mechanism and holding it out of operation while the reproducer is moving in a direction 10 to reproduce the record.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLINTON J. KURTZ. Witnesses;

A. O. CONDIT, RAY SMITH. 

